Fau Narrows Fund-raiser List

Few Applying Thanks To Scandal, Weak Economy

BOCA RATON — With a shaky economy and a sports car scandal to overcome, who would want to take over Florida Atlantic University's money-raising operation?

The university's hired headhunter admits it has been a challenge to woo well-qualified candidates to replace Carla Coleman, the former FAU fund-raising chief who ended up pleading guilty to criminal charges for contriving to buy former university President Anthony Catanese a Corvette. But a search group will interview three experienced college fund-raising leaders from out of state in the coming weeks, and consultant Jay Berger says another strong prospect is considering applying.

FAU President Frank Brogan expects to make the final decision by the end of the year. So far, his choices are:

Richard Collins, until recently the fund-raising chief at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and a former University of Miami fund-raising administrator in the early 1990s;

William Lynerd Jr., the University of Baltimore's top fund-raiser;

Donald Rizzo, fund-raising chief at Endicott College in Massachusetts.

To Brogan, their decades-long fund-raising rM-isumM-is are "very impressive." But to search committee member and major FAU donor Betty Zinman, they're disappointing.

"I think these candidates are weak for the kind of job we have in this institution," she told her fellow members Wednesday, suggesting the hopefuls had changed jobs too often to build proven relationships with potential donors.

Berger said some potential candidates were scared off by state laws that would make their applications public -- and by the Corvette controversy.

"The concern [potential applicants have] is whether or not the problems have sort of muddied the water for fund-raising possibilities in the community," Berger said.

Eight months after the Corvette episode came to light, it's still spurring upheaval at the foundation. Three members of the organization's decision-making committee have resigned in recent weeks, saying the turmoil wore them out.

Treasurer Ramon Rodriguez said the volunteer job had become "very time-consuming," especially after several paid administrators left amid the controversy. Mary Sue Donohue said she felt the foundation wasn't following through on plans to do more to court bequests, and she was turned off by the "negative" news of the last few months.

Barbara Schmidt, whose family is among FAU's biggest benefactors, said, "There are so many things going on, and so many things being said, and, quite frankly, I didn't want to spend the time dealing with it." She added that she felt the university wasn't doing enough to talk to donors personally about the foundation's tribulations.

Still, Brogan says he thinks the fund-raiser's job has a lot to offer, noting new rules intended to reassure donors.

"Even though we've been through something very difficult for the university ... [the fund-raising chief] will be inheriting opportunity for the future," he said.

Jennifer Peltz can be reached at jpeltz@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6636.